Past

The Victorian Soldier Settlement Scheme was heralded as a new beginning. Servicemen and women returning from fighting in World War 1 were offered blocks of farm land to help rebuild their lives. This exhibition uncovers the fascinating stories of these soldier settlers.

School Days features classroom stories, school photographs, old text books, and memorabilia collected by the Education Department and preserved within the vaults of the state archives of Public Record Office Victoria.

Sailing into Melbourne showcases approximately 20 major records from the collection of Public Records Office Victoria, covering the devastating shipwreck of the Royal Charter in 1856, grim stories of quarantine and grand voyages from Australia to Europe carrying large amounts of gold.

This exhibition provides a unique opportunity for Melbournians to explore the stories behind their city. Visitors can put a ‘face to the name’ as they traverse the grid, learning more of our explorers, colonial origins, founding fathers and events in our city’s past.

Features vibrant tram art from 1979 to 1992 including works by Michael Leunig, Mental as Anything, and Erica McGilchrist. Displays include photos of early painted trams, memorabilia including early conductor uniforms, an illustrated timeline of the evolution of trams and the historical 1910 film of Melbourne.

An exhibition of beautiful original paintings, drawings and plans of its forgotten architect JJ Clark who designed many iconic Melbourne, Victorian and interstate buildings. Discover too the interesting stories of the people who worked in the Old Treasury Building.

The temporary exhibition draws from testimonials, and never before seen documents from the Inquest Deposition Files as well as the Royal Commission, into the West Gate Bridge Collapse from Public Record Office Victoria.